Former tech support guy Brett Kelly says there are a few things you can do to get the computer help you need most efficiently over the phone. Before you call, try the obvious fixes: Reboot, consult the manual, Google, or help pages, and know how to reproduce the problem consistently. (You should know how to describe the problem thoroughly as well.) On the phone, be patient, do what your support person asks you to do, and don't lie about how you got where you are. Along these same lines, when you post a question in an online forum or send an email to someone for help, be sure to master the art of asking.

Read More »

We all know that networking can be vitally important, especially for freelancers and those with a bit of salesmanship to their jobs, but gigantic conferences like SXSW Interactive or O'Reilly Emerging Technology can seem like imposing behemoths, and even smaller gatherings can be frustrating if your crowd-working skills aren't up to snuff—which certainly holds true for your morning editor. There's always another chance to book a room and pin on a name tag coming up, though, so I turn to our more networking-savvy readers and ask: How do you set goals or keep focused on getting something worthwhile out of your time at conferences and seminars? What kind of must-have goods do you bring? Do you plan to meet certain people ahead of time, or are big gatherings a chance to play it by ear? Let's hear your advice, war stories, and suggestions in the comments.

Read More »

Web Worker Daily lets a chief web builder at HP.com tell a rare story—one of senior management leaving a meeting with his workers still respecting his answers and the consideration he gave them. His secret, strange as it might seem, was to keep his lunch sandwich nearby to immediately bite into upon being asked a question, along with a soda for quicker but still-important questions. This wouldn't work if you're the type to talk with your mouth full, of course, but substitute an acceptable-most-anywhere coffee or water and you've got a way to create needed pauses in conversation without, as the post puts it, "remaining silent for 15 seconds while staring at the ceiling." Might be worth trying at your next performance review or uber-frustrating meeting, rather than spilling forth with under-cooked ideas.

Read More »

Observing a heated argument taking place on Twitter prompted Coding Horror blogger Jeff Atwood to write an article urging people to consider the public nature of internet comms tools like Twitter, as well as the fact that it's often quicker and easier to nip an argument in the bud by taking it offline.

Know when to escalate from IM to email, from email to phone, and when to drop the ultimate communication A-bomb: a face-to-face meeting. Sometimes people are hesitant to escalate communications even when it's painfully obvious that they should. Resist the urge to reply in kind, however tempting it may be. You'll both have a more productive conversation when one of you finds the wherewithal to escalate to "let's take this to email", "let me call you", or even "let's meet for coffee".

Send that cutie who lives two apartments down the hall an anonymous message with new webapp HadToSay.com. Here's how it works: you register for a free account at HadToSay, write your message, and send the message ID and PIN to the recipient via "masked" email or by printing out a card. (See the video for the card bit; it's pretty darn cute.) Your recipient goes to HadToSay.com, enters their message ID and PIN, and they retrieve your message and optionally post a response. You never enter your or your recipient's names, which is a good thing, because all messages are public and browseable. Looks like a fun way to send your special someone a little something to make them smile. As with all anonymous messaging tools, this could be used for good or evil—don't be evil.

Read More »

Instant messaging and email are great ways to quickly get ideas and notices across quickly to co-workers, but sometimes an actual, real-time chat session can save you time on replies and confusion. ChatMaker, a free web chat application, instantly creates online chat rooms after you type in the name for one. Inviting others into the chat is as simple as sending them a human-readable URL, and nobody has to sign up or answer an invitation email. The chat interface is simple and familiar, but you don't get as much flexibility and control as with more old-school solutions like Internet Relay Chat. ChatMaker is a free web service, no sign-up required. For more group chat options, check out Google Talk and the (very) similar ChatCreator.

Read More »

When getting things done involves making phone calls, you want to spend the least amount of time and money on the horn as possible—and several tricks and services can help you do just that. With the right tones, keypresses, phone numbers, and know-how, you can skip through or cut off long-winded automated voice systems and humans, access web services by voice, and smartly screen incoming calls. Check out our pick of the 10 best telephony techniques for getting more done in less time over the phone.

Read More »

Communication begins with good listening skills. Strong listeners are more empathetic and are better at solving problems. If you're looking to better your listening skills, consider the following: wait for the person to open up, ask empowering questions, be patient, and remove all distractions. It helps to reiterate what is said:

Summarise and restate: It is also very useful to summarise what the speaker is saying and restate it in your own words. This is a form of reassuring the speaker that you have truly been listening to what he or she is saying. It also provides the speaker with an opportunity to correct any mistaken assumptions or misconceptions that have may have arisen during the course of the conversation..

Everyone has different ways of listening and expressing themselves. Try what works best for you. What are your best listening strategies? Share them with us in the comments.

Blogger Brett Kelly says you should stop wasting your callers' time and shorten your voicemail greeting to the bare essentials—no music, no cutesy stuff, no obvious information like "I'm not available to take your call right now." In the end, he recommends simply saying your name and phone number. While I'm just as cranky as he is about time-wasting greetings, that seems a bit too curt. What's in your voicemail greeting? Let us know in the comments. (If long greetings drive you nutso, there are ways to skip long greetings and get right to the beep.)

Blogger Gretchen Rubin lists seven topics of conversation to avoid if you don't want to be a bore. She writes:

Unless you get a truly enthusiastic response from your interlocutor—which is possible—be very wary of recounting...

1. A dream.

2. The recent changes in your child's nap schedule.

3. The route you took to get here.

4. An excellent meal you once had at a restaurant.

5. The latest additions to your wine cellar.

6. An account of your last golf game.

7. The plot of a movie, play, or movie—in particular, the funny parts.